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Throughout history, witches have been believed to wield various mystical powers, including the ability to communicate with the dead. Whether using a Ouija Board during the spiritualism era or through the practice of supposed maleficium, it's easy to link witches with ghosts. However, in some instances, witches have done more than simply converse with spirits; they are said to have transformed into spirits themselves, according to certain accounts.
The following list features ten of the most well-known witches who are not only legendary figures of folklore, like Baba Yaga or Jenny Greenteeth, but who, as some claim, have even been spotted in recent times.
10. Mother Shipton and the Petrifying Well
The story of Ursula Sontheil, better known as Mother Shipton, begins in 1488 in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England. Born to a young, unwed mother, Agatha Sontheil, Ursula was raised by her mother in a cave for two years before Agatha was sent to a nunnery, leaving Ursula to be brought up by the Abbot of Beverly.
Ursula was born with the exact look of a typical witch—warts, a hooked nose, and all. As a result, she had very few friends and spent most of her time alone in the woods or near her cave, immersing herself in the study of plants and the ancient practices of cunning women. Over time, she became known as a gifted folk healer and prophetess, living to the age of 73.
Mother Shipton’s cave has become infamous for its eerie reputation. Nearby, the Petrifying Well has an unusual ability to turn most objects left in it into stone after a few months. Though science attributes this to a high mineral content, many locals still report seeing a shadowy, witch-like figure lurking near the cave’s entrance, only to vanish when approached.
9. Barbara Zdunk
Barbara Zdunk holds the grim distinction of being ‘The Last Witch to Be Burned at the Stake in Europe.’ However, this wasn’t her only alleged crime. In the early 1800s, the town of Reszel in Poland was ravaged by a series of fires. In 1806, the entire town burned to the ground, and Barbara, a maid at the time, was accused of arson. Many believe she was the victim of a smear campaign. Although witchcraft was not illegal in Prussia, she was accused of it as part of the charges. Zdunk was executed on August 21 at Szubienica Hill, just outside Reszel.
It is said that Barbara Zdunk’s spirit haunts the Reszel Castle, where she was imprisoned and tortured for four years. During her captivity, she was sexually assaulted and gave birth twice, though the fate of her children remains unknown. Witnesses claim to have seen her ghost wandering the castle’s dungeons, often accompanied by chilling, unexplained screams. The team from Ghost Hunters International even visited Reszel Castle, where they encountered numerous poltergeist activities.
8. Marie Laveau
While not strictly a witch, Marie Laveau is often called “The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans” due to her immense reputation as a powerful priestess in the Voodoo faith and her standing within the New Orleans black community. Voodoo is rooted in West African beliefs that gained prominence across the Caribbean and places like New Orleans. Born around the turn of the 19th century, Laveau had deep ancestral ties to many esteemed Voodoo priestesses and was mentored in the craft by Dr. John (Bayou John) from Senegal.
Marie Laveau lived a long and influential life, passing away from natural causes on June 15, 1881. She was laid to rest at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where her grave continues to receive offerings and tributes to this day. However, it is not the cemetery where her spirit is often reported; instead, it is her former residence on St. Anne Street that is considered a haunted spot, even though the house was demolished and replaced in 1903.
Many have claimed to see the Voodoo Queen’s ghost strolling calmly down St. Anne Street, dressed in a white gown with her iconic tingon headdress. Her spirit is also said to haunt the rooms of the current building, now a vacation rental. Visitors have reported hearing unexplained chanting and drumming emanating from a completely deserted street.
7. The Soucouyant
The Soucouyant occupies a unique space between “vampire” and “witch,” with her characterization as an old hag securing her place on this list. A well-known legend in the southern Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago, the Soucouyant refers to a witch-like being, rather than a single individual. Folklore tells that she can shed her skin at night and transform into a massive fireball, often visiting sleeping homes to drain their blood, leaving behind blue-black marks as evidence.
The Soucouyant, however, has her vulnerabilities. If salt or pepper is sprinkled on her discarded skin, it will burn her upon her return, causing her demise. Another way to thwart her is by placing a bowl of rice at your front door, compelling her to count each grain before she can cross the threshold.
Although the Soucouyant may seem more mythical than real, there have been recent reports of sightings. However, discussing her is considered taboo, so these accounts remain scarce. Nonetheless, people have claimed to witness fireballs soaring through the sky like paranormal orbs of light, occasionally revealing a face within the flame.
6. Hauntings at Proctor’s Ledge
While the events that initially occurred may be more famous than any lingering hauntings, Salem undoubtedly has its own share of ghostly encounters.
While it’s difficult to definitively state that any of the victims from the notorious Salem Witch Trials were true, practicing witches, it is undeniable that many places report ghostly encounters. A large portion of these spirits seem to date back to 1692, the year the trials began—based on the descriptions of the apparitions.
In 1921, historian Sidney Perley pinpointed the location of “Gallows Hill,” where the executions occurred, discovering it to be at the base of Proctor’s Ledge, a hill in Salem. Under Massachusetts law, it was forbidden to bury executed “witches” in consecrated ground, which led to many victims being buried in a mass grave near the execution site. Some families may have secretly taken their accused relatives to bury them elsewhere under the cover of night.
Even today, a mysterious figure known as the Lady in White is often spotted wandering near Proctor’s Ledge and other locations in Salem. However, no one has been able to identify her as a specific victim of the infamous trials. Additionally, eerie sounds such as faint wails and moans are often heard, along with the usual cold spots and floating orbs that frequently accompany haunted places.
5. Agnes Sampson
Agnes Sampson, also referred to as the Wyse Wyff of Keyth, was a well-known cunning woman from Scotland who met a tragic end at the North Beswick Witch Trial in 1591. Her trial and execution took place at the historic Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh, a place she is said to still haunt to this very day.
In her lifetime, Agnes Sampson was a widow with two children, making her living by providing folk remedies she had learned to the people of Scotland. Unfortunately, her fate took a tragic turn when a maidservant named Geillis Duncan was accused of witchcraft and began naming other supposed witches, much like the events of the Salem Witch Trials. Agnes Sampson was one of the victims of Duncan’s confessions. She was imprisoned, tortured for several months, and ultimately garrotted and burned alive on January 28.
Even today, a ghost matching the description of Agnes Sampson has been seen wandering the halls of Holyroodhouse Palace, often with the visible marks of her torture still apparent. Witnesses report seeing her either aimlessly walking through the palace or reenacting the final moments of her tragic life.
4. Janet Douglas
Janet Douglas was yet another victim of Scotland’s witch trials, but her death occurred more than fifty years before that of Agnes Sampson, when she was burned at the stake on July 17, 1537. Also known as Lady Glamis, Janet Douglas is said to haunt Glamis Castle to this day, where she is seen prowling its corridors as a ghostly apparition.
Unlike Sampson, Janet Douglas’s accusations were not rooted in her status as a folk witch, but rather in her familial ties to Sir James Douglas, a lieutenant to Robert the Bruce and a foe of King James V of Scotland. Driven by hatred of the entire Douglas family, Janet was accused of treason, poisoning her husband, and practicing witchcraft. Both she and her sixteen-year-old son were swiftly imprisoned and tortured, with her son reportedly forced to witness her agonizing death by fire.
Although Janet Douglas was executed at Edinburgh Castle, it is said that her spirit still manifests at her original home, Glamis Castle, where she is known as the 'Grey Lady.' She is most often seen wearing garments in the color of her new moniker and is typically spotted in the castle’s chapel.
3. The Bell Witch
The Bell Witch is arguably the most famous and long-lasting ghost story connected to witchcraft. According to legend, she is one of the few spirits in folklore believed to have actually caused a death. Her haunting is said to have begun in rural Tennessee between 1817 and 1821. It all started when John Bell, a farmer, shot at a strange creature in his cornfield, which had the head of a rabbit and the body of a dog.
As time passed, the entire Bell family became plagued by poltergeist activity, including strange knocking sounds and sheets being mysteriously yanked off their beds at night. Betsy Bell, in particular, suffered at the hands of the Witch, waking to find herself being slapped and beaten by an unseen force. Even former U.S. President Andrew Jackson visited the family, where he and his companions were cursed and struck by the same invisible entity.
The haunting of the Bell Witch reached its peak when John Bell fell seriously ill. The family discovered a strange vial containing a mysterious liquid hidden in their home. When they tested it on the family cat, it immediately died. To this day, many believe that the Bell Witch was responsible for poisoning John Bell.
2. La Lechuza
The next entry on our list leans more toward the avian than the canine. La Lechuza, whose name directly translates to 'the owl' in Spanish, has its origins in Mexican folklore. This creature is often depicted as a colossal owl with the face of a woman.
The tale of La Lechuza begins with a nameless woman who was accused of practicing black magic in her village, a crime for which she was murdered. As a result, this supposed bruja, or witch, is believed to have returned in the form of a terrifying seven-foot-tall bird woman. By day, she takes on the guise of an elderly woman, but by night, she transforms into her owl form, still haunting the land.
Witnesses claim to see La Lechuza perched high in trees at night, either mimicking the cries of a baby to lure victims or simply letting out an eerie screech, like a typical owl, when someone dares to approach. She is also notorious for swooping down on vehicles, attempting to drive them off the road.
1. The Aswang
This next tale hails from the Philippines and shares similarities with the Soucouyant, blurring the line between witch and vampire. The Aswang is a figure in Philippine folklore that, by day, typically appears as a woman. However, it possesses the unsettling ability to shapeshift into various creatures, including large dogs, cats, birds, and even werewolves, all to hunt humans under the cover of night. The only way to identify an Aswang is by the odd reflection of their eyes—upside-down to those who meet their gaze—or by a special painting crafted by an albularyo, a Filipino folk healer, which begins to boil when the Aswang is nearby.
To feast on its victims, the Aswang is said to crouch on the rooftops of houses, using its long, prehensile tongue to slink through small openings and scout the area before breaking in, consuming the victim, and replacing the body with a wooden and plant mannequin. Even today, many people in the Philippines claim to witness this cryptid lurking on rooftops, preying on the unsuspecting.
